Basketball bankboard suspension



Dec. 23, 1958 P. v. TOWNSEND BASKETBALL BANKBOARD SUSPENSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1956 D Y N E q m W W im R. WW E0 W 1 E ec. 23, 1958 P. v. TOWNSEND 2,855,634

BASKETBALL BANKBOARD SUSPENSION Filed June 29, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR'V. P404 M 70/44/5540 ATTUQNEY United States Patent BASKETBALL BANKBOARD SUSPENSION Paul V. Townsend, Anderson, Ind., assignor to Recreation Equipment Corporation, Anderson, Ind.

Application June 29, 1956, Serial No. 594,739

3 Claims. (Cl. 2731.5)

This invention relates to a structure for rigidly supporting a bankboard for the game of basketball and in a manner whereby the bankboard may be lifted up out of the way to provide clearance for the playing of other games as may be desirable. One of the essential features in supporting a bankboard in a suspended position is that the supporting mechanism be extremely rigid so that when the ball hits the bankboard, there will be no such shifting or vibration of the board as will afiect the accuracy of a rebound or a bank shot for the basket.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a simplified supporting mechanism which will be extremely rigid in the supporting position, and which may be hinged to swing upwardly by any suitable means such as by a cable wherein there are no interlatching members to be engaged and disengaged as between the suspended position of the bankboard and its elevated position, and also wherein the lifting and lowering cable is automatically held out of line of travel of the ball.

In other words the primary advantage of the present invention resides in a structure wherein the structure may be lowered simply by releasing or paying out a cable, to allow the structure to assume its rigid position, rigidly braced, and then when the bankboard is to be lifted out of its playing position, simply pulling the cable to swing the bankboard upwardly wherein a position is reached in which all of the supporting members are brought into an extremely compact relationship.

Furthermore, there is present in the construction constituting the invention a plurality of adjustments which permit easy plumbing of the bankboard, easy positioning of the bankboard in relation to the floor and the like.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front perspective of a structure embodying the invention with the board in playing position; Fig. 2 is a view in perspective from the underside of the structure with the board in an elevated position;

Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevation in partial section of a brace in each connection;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale from the rear of the bankboard and lower suspending members;

Fig. 5 is a view in back elevation of a bankboard mounting bracket; and

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the mounting bracket.

A foundation support structure is provided, herein shown as comprising a pair of parallel members 10 and 11 to be horizontally disposed, and as herein shown, may be tubular in cross section. These members 10 and 11 have a plurality of crossties interconnecting them to hold them in rigid positions, three such ties 12, 13, and 14 being herein shown.

A pair of board carrying members 15 and 16 of any mally downwardly therefrom. These members 15 and 16 are identical in shape and length, and each of them carries respectively a leg -17 and 18 which is bent from the main length in each instance, these legs 17 and 18 being normally substantially vertical disposed with the members 15 and 16 angularly disposed when the bankboard 19 is vertically disposed and in playing position. These members 15 and 16 with their legs 17 and 18 respectively are each provided with a stringer base 20 and 21 fixed by their upper ends in relation to the members 15 and 16,,and fixed by their lower ends to intermediate zones along the legs 17 and 18 between the bends 22 and 23 respectively and the lower ends 24 and 25. A tie bar 26 is preferably interconnected between the members 15 and 16 at the connections 20 and 21 therewith.

The legs 17 and 18 are interconnected by the cross member 27 near the bends 22 and 23, and by a second cross member 28 preferably immediately below the con nections of the stringers 20 and 21 with those legs.

A pair of normally vertically disposed columns, preferably tubular in nature, 29 and 30 have their lower ends hinged to the cross member 27 adjacent the legs 17 and 18 respectively. These columns 29 and 30 terminate by their upper ends short of the plane of the undersides of the members 10 and 11.

To the upper ends of the columns 29 and 30 there are hinged respectively the arms 31 and 32 which are inclined from the plane of the forward side of the columns 29 and 30 upwardly and relatively forwardly by reason of the bends 33 and 34 imposed in the lower end portions of those arms. The upper ends of the arms 31 and 32 are hinged to the tie member 13.

The hinge connection between each of the arms 31 and 32 and their connecting columns 29 and 30 is illustrated in Fig. 3, the hinge connection being identical in each instance, and therefore the one hinge connection is suflicient to describe, this description being made in reference to the connection as applied between the column 30 and the arm 32. A cylindrical bracket 63 is fixed to the upper end of the column 30 by telescoping thereover, and being secured thereto by any suitable means, herein shown as by a through bolt 64. The upper end of the column 30 preferably extends upwardly beyond the top side of the bracket 63 by a conical end 35.

An arm 36 extends laterally from the bracket 63 and.

the lower end 41 of the bracket 39. When the arms 31,

32 and the columns 29, 30 are in their normal downwardly extending positions 'for use of the bankboard 19, the two brackets 63 and 39 will be in abutting relationship with the conical end 35 entered within the lower end of the bracket 39 as a means for positively locating the two brackets in fixed relationship against lateral movement.

Preferably a cross bar 42 interconnects the arms 31 and 32 intermediate their hinged ends and the bends 33 and 34, and the columns 29 and 30 are rigidly tied together into a substantially parallel relationship by means of the upper and lower cross bars 43 and 44 respectively between which there is an X brace formed of the two cross rods 45 and 46 interconnecting by their ends with the cross bars 43 and 44. It is to be noted that there are no latches nor other interengaging means at the hinge connections throughout the various members of the structure so far described.

of the members i Bankbo'ard mounting brackets generally designated by tbenumeral 47, .f9u.r in number are provided to interengage the bankboard 19 with the legs 17 and 18. Each of these four brackets 47 is identical in shape, and as illustrated in Figs. and 6 particularly, consistsof a tubular shank 48 to which is fixed at one end a. fiat plate 49 extending substantially at right angles to the shank 48 and to one side thereof. The free end of the shank 48 is pref erably slotted longitudinally thereof as indicated by the slot 50.

The shanks 48 are in each instance received within a bracket 51 slidingly mounted along the legs 17 and 18, two on each leg, and spaced the required distance apart longitudinally of the legs. The plates 49 are turned forwardly against the backside of bankboard 19, so that the plate 49 in each instance may receive through holes 52 therein bolts 53 which extend rearwardly from the bankboard As indicated in Fig. 4, the lower brackets 47 have their plates 49 turned upwardly whereas the upper brackets 47 have their plates 49 turned downwardly. The

I plates 49 in each instance have more than one set of holes 52 so as to accommodate different heights of bankboards, or diiferent spacings apart of mounting members such as the cross frame members 54 and 55 as they may appear on the bankboard 19. Also in order to vertically align the bankboard 19, bolts 56 are carried transversely across the brackets 51 through the slots 59, so that the brackets 47 may in the necessary instances be pushed fore and aft of the bracket 51 to secure the vertical positioning. The height of the bankboard 19 is of course secured in relation to the playing floor at the desired elevation by means of shifting the brackets 51 along the legs 17 and 18. Other adjustments may be had by shifting for example the cross member 27 up and down the legs 17 and 18 so that the swinging of the members and 16 may be such that the members 29 and 30 will be substantially vertically positioned.

While reference has been made to the bankboard 19 shown in the particular shape, it is obvious that other shapes of bankboards may be employed such as the rectangular shape commonly used in professional games. The exact shape of the bankboard, that is its contour and its exact dimensions, are not indicated and do not form or enter into the gist of the invention. The basket, generally designated by the numeral 57, is vertically adjustably supported by means of the L bracket 58 which is secured by an upturned leg to the backside of the bankboard 1-9, Fig. 4, the under leg of which extends forwardly from the bankboard 19 from thereunder. Again the bracket 58 may be vertically adjusted by sliding the mounting bolts 59 vertically in the slots 60 of the vertical member 61 secured on the backside of the bankboard 19.

By reason of the fact that the bankboard 19 is mounted on the legs 17 and 18 which are normally vertically disposed, and these legs 17 and 18 are integral parts of the diagonally positioned members 15 and 16, the ball in striking the bankboard 19 from its front side strikes a very solid and substantially immovable member, particularly as supported by the columns 29 and 30. The weight of the various members below the foundation supporting members 10 and 11 maintain the bankboard 19 in its playing position.

To lift the bankboard 19 into an out of the way position as shown in Fig. 2, there is employed a cable 65 which has its lower end fixed in an eye 66 secured to the lower cross member 27 intervening between the legs 17 and 18. This cable 65 extends upwardly and around a pulley 67 which is secured to the foundation frame tie member 13, and from the pulley 67, the cable extends downwardly and outwardly and carries a pulley 68 at its end. .A lifting cable 69 is also fixed to the eye 66 and extends upwardly on the front side of the columns 29 and 30. as does also the cable 65, the cable 69 being carried over the pulley 68 and thence upwardly to a pulley 70 fixedto the foundation frame cross member 12. By pulli'ng'o'n the end of'the cable 69 beyond thepulle'y '70, the .cable 69 between the pulleyt68 and the eye 66 being diago' nally positioned, the bankboard 19 and the members to which it is attached are immediately carried upwardly as the hinge connections at the upper ends of the columns 29 and 30 with the arms 31 and 32 open up as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, allowing the members 15 and 16 to come up on each side of the columns 29 and 30 while the length of the cable between the pulleys 67 and 68 increases as the length decreases between the pulley 67 and the eye 66, permitting the pulley 68 to travel outwardlyfand upwardly toward the cross member 12 until the bankboard 19 is carried to its upper extreme limit of travel as indicated'in Fig. 2. The length of the cable 65 between the pulleys 67 and 68 increases. as the bankboard 19 travels upwardly under the pull on the cable 69. That length initially is made to be such that the length of the cable 69 between the pulley 68 and the eye 66 is kept back out of the way of basketballs being thrown toward the basket 57 or at the bankboard 19. As the bankboard 19 travels upwardly, the cable 65 will eventually become slack as indicated in Fig. 2, whereupon the entire load will then be taken by the cable 69, which cable will hold the bankboard 19 in its fully elevated position. Also as indicated in Fig. 2', the support columns 29 and 30 will travel by their relatively upper ends between the members 15 and 16 so that a very compact arrangement of the various parts will be had to give the maximum clearance thereunder between them and the floor.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form as now best known to me, it is entirely conceivable that various changes may be made in the structure particularly in the manners of bracing and interconnection between the various elements, all without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

I. A basket ball bankboard and basket support com.- prising an overhead fixed structure; a pair of spaced apart, parallel brace members hingedly carried by and normally diagonally depending from said structure; a leg downturned from the lower ends of each of said brace members; a bankboard fixed to said legs; a pair of spaced apart vertically extending support members carried by said structure by upper end portions and hingedly interconnected by lower end portions with said brace members adjacent the junction of said legs with said brace members; an arm extending from each of the upper end portions of said support members at a common obtuse angle therefrom in a direction away from said brace members; hinge means interconnecting lower ends of said arms with upper ends of said support members; said arms each being hinged by their upper ends to said structure; said hinge means limiting hinging between said support members and said arms to positions thereof positioning said support members approximately vertically; and cable means carried by said structure for lifting said bankboard swinging said brace members toward said structure and said upper portions of said support members toward said brace members approaching parallelism therebetween and with said structure; said cable means comprising a cross tie between said legs; a retracting cable fixed by one end to said tie; a pulley carried by said structure spaced forwardly of said hinge means; said retracting cable being passed over said pulley terminating in a free end; a second pulley fixed to the cable free end; and a lift cable fixed by one end to said tie and carried over said second pulley; a third pulley fixed to said structure spaced from said upper ends of the arms, said lift cable being carried over said third pulley; and the length of said retracting cable between said first and pulleys increasing upon upward swing of the bankboard under pull on said lift cable.

2. A basketball bankhoard suspension having overhead, fixed and spaced apart supporting members, comprising a bankboard with front and back sides; a pair of board mounting members, one each hinged to one of said supporting members by common ends and extending therefrom at acute angles in straight lengths to approximately the top of the backside of said bankhoard, and thence each at an obtuse angle by integral, straight legs in substantial parallelism with the bank side of the board and with each other; means attaching the bankhoard to said legs; a pair of base members, one each rigidly secured to one of said mounting members adjacent its hinging to the supporting member and extending in straight lines respectively to fixed engagement with said legs a distance from said angles; said mounting members with their legs and said base members defining a pair of obtuse, rigid, fixed triangles; and a pair of columns hinged, by upper ends respectively to said supporting members, and hingedly interconnecting by lower ends with said legs back of said bankhoard; each of said columns being in two lengths interconnected by hinges, one to the other intermediate their upper and lower ends.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which there is an abutment at each of said column hinges confining rocking of the lower lengths of the columns forwardly from the upper lengths; said upper column lengths inclining forwardly and upwardly from said hinges to said supporting members; said lower column lengths being normally vertically suspended from said hinges, pressure against the front face of the bankhoard being resisted in part by said abutments as said column lower lengths tend to swing rearwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,778,173 Steele Oct. 14, 1930 1,926,674 Gross Sept. 12, 1933 2,162,085 Hoppes June 13, 1939 2,786,677 Noonan et al Mar. 26, 1957 

